90-hour work week debate: Anand Mahindra, Harsh Goenka, other industry titans beg to differ with L&T chairman

The debate over work-life balance has intensified ever since Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairman SN Subrahmanyan's take on the same went viral on social media. In an undated video, Subrahmanyan can be heard saying that employees should work 90 hours a week. 

During an employee interaction, the L&T chairman was asked why employees still had to work on Saturday. To this, he quipped that he regrets not being able to make them work on Sundays as well. 

"What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife?" the chairman asked. He further said: "Come on, get to the office and start working."

Needless to say, his remarks left India Inc outraged. From Anand Mahindra to Harsh Mariwala and Anupam Mittal, industry titans shared their takes on Subrahmanyan's remarks. Here's what they had to say

Here's what industry titans had to say on the viral video

HARSH GOENKA 

The RPG Enterprises chairman panned Subrahmanyan's suggestion and said in a post on X: "90 hours a week? Why not rename Sunday to ‘Sun-duty’ and make ‘day off’ a mythical concept! Working hard and smart is what I believe in, but turning life into a perpetual office shift? That’s a recipe for burnout, not success. Work-life balance isn’t optional, it’s essential. Well, that’s my view! #WorkSmartNotSlave."

ANAND MAHINDRA

Taking a dig at Subrahmanyan's 'how long can you stare at your wife' remark, the Mahindra Group boss said at an event: "I want to tell people that I am on X on social media not because I am lonely. My wife is wonderful; I love staring at her. So, I am not here to make friends." 

Furthermore, the industry titan said holistic thinking is key to taking the right decisions. "If you don't, if you're not spending time at home, if you're not spending time with friends, if you're not reading, if you don't have time to reflect, how will you bring the right inputs into making a decision?"

RAJIV BAJAJ

Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj said in an interview that what matters at the end of the day of the quality of work and not the number of hours logged in. Furthermore, he said: "Let 90 hours start from the top."

He also compared the inefficiencies in an organisation to a bottle, where the bottleneck always forms at the top. “Irrespective of who you are and what you do in a company, you are effectively working 12 hours a day if you consider your commute and time on the job. That’s about half your day," he said. 

HARSH MARIWALA

The Marico founder and chairman said in a recent interview that he disagrees with Subrahmanyan's suggestion. He said that he has not worked for such long hours a week throughout his career, barring some exceptions. 

"On average, I used to work 8-10 hours a day." He added that the quality of work is important instead of making employees sit to clock in a particular number of hours.

He also argued against pushing employees at lower levels to perpetually work beyond their scheduled shifts. "They don't have ESOPs (employee stock options)... If pushed, they might join another job."

VINEET NAYAR

Former HCL CEO Vineet Nayar criticised the glorification of long working hours and punishing schedules. He also emphasised the toll that taxing work schedules take on energy, creativity and purpose. "The best ideas, the biggest breakthroughs? They don't come from grinding endlessly. They come from a mind that is alive, engaged, and free to experience life."

For the former HCL CEO, solution is simple that one should work more if they want and could also work less if they can. "The number doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're making space for moments that make life worth living."

ADAR POONAWALLA

Replying to industrialist Anand Mahindra's 'my wife is wonderful, I love staring at her' remark, the Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla said: "Yes Anand Mahindra, even my wife Natasha Poonawalla thinks I am wonderful, she loves staring at me on Sundays. Quality of work over quantity always."

ANUPAM MITTAL

The Shaadi.com founder and Shark Tank India judge gave a cheeky reply to the L&T chairman's polarising suggestion. “But sir, if husband and wife don’t look at each other, how will we remain the most populous country in the world?”

NAMITA THAPAR

The Emcure Pharmaceuticals Executive Director and Shark Tank India judge also weighed in on the raging debate around work-life balance. She said that she will be unable to devote time to her interests if she worked 90 hours a week. 

Thapar said in a post on X: "Since anyone & everyone is giving gyan on 90 hour work week, here’s one more from me… If I work 90 hours a week, how will I have time for Philosophy, Bollywood & Shayari, that have taught me some of my best leadership lessons & helped me improve my quality of work & outcomes ?? Sharing my talk from our strategic offsite (sic)!"